REFLECTIONS - SOLAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN CIRCA 1999

There was I - searching the evening sky trying to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse, but too much cloud to see the phenomenon.  What a shame - but here you will see some photos of the last eclipse that Sally and I (and broadcaster and author Claire  Rayner) witnessed on 11 August 1999.  You see, I do keep my pictures in good order and, more importantly - filed!

The venue was that fascinating garden in the sky (originally Derry & Toms' departmental store) in Kensington with gorgeous rooftop gardens and the flamingos performing their elegant strutting in the shallow pools. This place - now owned by others - was a perfect London venue to put on media events and I was a frequent visitor. I used their top gardener in charge of the gardens, for a three-page spread for the Essex Life magazine at the time. Well, it was the Millennium and change was all about us!  It is now a Grade II building.


Derry & Toms building in Kensington circa 1999